Marketplace For Windows Phone 7 Rich With Apps

In conjunction with the launch of Windows Phone 7 in some Asian and European markets, the Marketplace for Windows Phone is now live with hundreds of applications. Here's an exhaustive list.

If there's one crucial factor in helping Windows Phone 7 succeed, it is the availability of applications from the Marketplace for Windows Phone. According to what's already available in the Marketplace, Windows Phone 7 is off to a good start.

The Marketplace was in test mode for the last week and was very sparsely populated. It officially launched October 21 with free and for-a-fee applications that span the gamut. Most apps fall in the Free to $4.99 price zone. Many are priced at $0.99.

Why are apps so important? Windows Phone 7 is a new platform and lacks several key native features. The availability of applications helps make up for some of those missing features.

The Marketplace is broken down into key segments, such as games, entertainment, music, photos, news, sports, health, finance, social, productivity, tools, and so on.

Here's a sampling of some the brand-name applications that are available for Microsoft's new smartphone operating system from each of the major categories. Keep in mind, this is only a partial list. There are many, many more applications available in each category. By the time Windows Phone 7 devices are available in the U.S., there will surely be hundreds more apps available.

Among 688 respondents, 46% have deployed mobile apps, with an additional 24% planning to in the next year. Soon all apps will look like mobile apps – and it's past time for those with no plans to get cracking.